U.S. to Map the Risks of Man-Made Earthquakes

Move Follows Rise in Frequency of Quakes in Regions With Increased Fracking

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—A rise in the frequency of earthquakes in regions with increasing oil and gas extraction is prompting scientists for the first time to assess risks of man-made quakes and include them on federal maps that influence building codes and public policy.

The new mapping, which the U.S. Geological Survey hopes to release later this year, is likely to put regions of the central U.S. not typically thought of as earthquake zones on notice for greater seismic hazards. Unlike West Coast states at high risk for major...